3. The guest list for Rick Perry’s Aug. 6 day of prayer and fasting at Houston’s Reliant Stadium won’t include many U.S. governors. Most of the governors have declined his invitation, although several have proclaimed days of prayer in their own states this year. Others say their offices have not planned their August schedules yet. Jeanna Smialek reports>>>

4. Gov. Rick Perry does not have an undisputed claim to the Tea Party vote should he run for the Republican presidential nomination. And with as many as 28 percent of adult voters identifying as Tea Party Activists according to a 2010 Gallup poll, that conservative support could be crucial. Jeanna Smialek reports>>>

5. This interactive map is based on documents amassed by reporter Dan Freedman for his story Smuggled Guns: the Bigger the Better, which ran May 29 in the Houston Chronicle. Freedman surveyed 44 gun trafficking cases involving 165 defendants in U.S. jurisdictions along the border. From U.S. court documents, Freedman extracted a list of 1,600 guns by brand name. All were weapons purchased in the Southwest for transit to Mexico and that nation’s violent drug cartels. Most of the weapons were either sent to Mexico or intercepted en route. Will Tucker reports>>>

8.At the presidential level, gun rights form a major part of Rick Perry‘s conservative appeal, a fact that might come into play should he run for president. He has a lifetime A+ grade from the National Rifle Association — in stark contrast to President Obama, whose support for gun rights has been, shall we say, seriously questioned by Second Amendment activists. Jeanna Smialek reports>>>

9. The Democrats routed the Republicans yesterday in the annual congressional baseball game. But that didn’t stop the large posse of Texas Republicans from playing (or cheering) their hearts out at Nationals Park in Washington. Sarah Tung reports>>>

10. Writing about Ron Paul’s decision not to run for reelection, even as he continues his presidential bid, prompted columnist Joe Holley to read the latest about “Dr. No,” the long-time libertarian who stays true to his small-government principles regardless of what his fellow Republicans think. Read the full column here>>>